


sos i'm bored

by Emmandroid



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Blind Date, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 11:11:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15363342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmandroid/pseuds/Emmandroid
Summary: To entertain himself while waiting for his date to arrive (it's been fifteen minutes where the hell is this guy), Mark texts his roommate Yukhei





	sos i'm bored

**Author's Note:**

> got this idea so alas a fic

Ten minutes. That’s cool, right? The guy doesn’t get points for punctuality, that’s for sure, but he still has to be coming, right? Right? Right. Don’t sweat it, Mark Lee.

He looks around. The restaurant is swank – pristine tablecloth, polished china and a chandelier that has him thinking of Final Destination in a sad, twisted way. All in all, not the kind of establishment he would frequent. You know, college student and all. He chances a glance at the other patrons – mostly middle-aged couples, probably married and on the sanity break they call a date night, while their kids torment the broke college student hired to babysit. He then inspects himself through the reflective surface of his silverware, and after that the chair opposite his, with its glaring lack of temporary inhabitant. He suddenly, overwhelmingly feels out of place.

Fifteen minutes. It’s been fifteen minutes. What on earth could have happened to this dude he’s set up with? He sighs, and before agitating himself further, decides to take his phone out and occupy himself. Classic millennial coping mechanism. He discovers the restaurant has wi-fi but then remembers he’s been sitting fifteen minutes without placing an order, so calling the server over to ask for the password is probably out of the question. Left with the next best thing, he opens his messaging app to shoot a text and hopefully start a conversation. He doesn’t have to think about the recipient – it’s Yukhei, his roommate and best bro. He sends him a simple “yo,” his default greeting, and counts on the knowledge that Yukhei is procrastinating right at this moment and can afford to be bothered.

Sure enough, his phone registers a reply before the screen can go black. Ah, salvation.

_Waiting for your date still?_

He doesn’t bother confirming because it’s sort of obvious, isn’t it, if Mark is texting him while supposedly on his blind date.

_Entertain me pls_

And he does. Yukhei regales him with stories from the past week, and even through text he’s able to convey that brand of almost frantic enthusiasm that Mark has come to associate with him. Mark also realizes, by the number of new anecdotes Yukhei is sharing, that they haven’t been talking much recently outside of their usual niceties and small talk. It makes him just a bit sad. He’s missed this.

It’s in the middle of quietly giggling at his screen that the server politely coughs from behind him and asks if he would be ready to order. Oh yeah, he’s forgotten why he’s even here in the first place. He quickly leafs through the menu that until now has been resting idly in front of him and orders the cheapest appetizer. To his credit, the server doesn’t scoff at his particular selection and promises to return with his choice in fifteen to twenty minutes. Yukhei notices the lag in his responses so Mark promptly explains, and then it’s Yukhei taking a lifetime to reply. He again has nothing to do, until his appetizer arrives. By this point he’s been half an hour here and it dawns on him, before his first bite, that he looks quite pathetic. He hopes nothing unfortunate happened to his date but then again that would mean his absence could be nothing but a conscious decision to stand him up. And that realization that he’s been stood up is suddenly too painful and he’s finding himself desperately holding himself together, trying not to break into tears in the middle of this packed, posh restaurant.

“I’m so sorry I’m late.”

What. Hold on – that voice is familiar.

“Yukhei?”

“Hi, I’m Yukhei,” he greets, with an unassuming smile and right hand outstretched. What is this boy doing, Mark finds himself confusedly wondering, but chooses to indulge the other by similarly introducing himself and taking the proffered hand. Yukhei then coolly waves the server over, suavely ordering a meal for them both and asking for a bottle of chardonnay.

And then he gets it. His best friend is pretending to be his blind date so it doesn’t seem like he’s been stood up. He smiles.

“Thanks, bro. You can stop pretending now.”

Yukhei’s face goes through a series of expressions – feigned surprise then contemplation before settling on a shy smile.

“I just can’t believe this guy stood you up, you know.”

“I’m trying not to think it’s something wrong with me because it is a blind date so therefore it’s the activity that could have scared me off and not…well my face, but it does still feel awful. And look at this place! I’ve been sitting here alone, obviously waiting for someone, surrounded by all these couples and their patent leather watches and Tiffany jewels. It’s just, it’s pathetic.”

“Hey look at me,” and Yukhei says this as he places a hand on top of Mark’s. “You are not pathetic for taking a chance. You are not pathetic for coming here and being brave and being let down. He’s pathetic. Whoever this guy is. Not you.”

Yukhei’s thumb glides caressingly across his knuckles in the silence following his little speech, and when Mark chances a look up, Yukhei is looking at him with such conviction in his eyes, such sincerity and affection – like he really needs Mark to know and to believe him. And he does believe him. He chooses to.

“I’m not pathetic.”

“Good.”

Thankfully Mark is composed enough when their entrees arrive and they gleefully enjoy the meal whilst continuing their conversation that they had over text earlier in the night. Mark keeps the alcohol to a minimum – just enough that it creates a pleasant buzz and a background warmth but he still has full control of his senses. He wants to remember and enjoy this. It’s nice.

Their bill arrives while Yukhei is in the restroom. “I’m glad he arrived,” whispers the server as Mark is signing the receipt. The comment catches him off guard but then he smiles up at the server and says, “me too.” He doesn’t need to know he did get stood up and his best friend just did him a solid by pretending to be his supposed date.

He tells Yukhei he’s settled the bill when he returns, inciting an endless back-and-forth about who’s supposed to foot the meal.

“Dude, you did me a favor by showing up. I really don’t mind.”

“Then let me treat you to ice cream. If you have room for dessert?”

“You know I never pass up ice cream.”

They vacate their seats and then, to Mark’s surprise, Yukhei rests a hand on his back as he steers him toward the exit. He’s definitely committing to this jig.

“Is it making you uncomfortable?” Yukhei asks when they’ve stepped out of the restaurant. Is it? “No,” he says. No, he means.

Yukhei orders ice cream for the both of them, like he did back at the restaurant. If it were anyone else, Mark might have felt a slight annoyance at the presumptuousness of choosing for him without first asking his opinion. But it’s Yukhei. He knows him.

They choose to have their ice cream while walking back to the dorms. As expected, Yukhei doesn’t even manage to walk a block with his. He practically inhales it. It’s just baffling to Mark. “I would apologize for taking time away from your schoolwork but one, you were procrastinating anyway I’m sure and two,” he looks sideways at his roommate’s face, “I had a really great time and can’t regret it.”

Yukhei pauses then in his steps and reciprocates the look, thoughtful expression on his face. “Would you do it again?”

“Do what again? Go on a blind date?”

“No, not that. A date with me. Would you go on a second date?”

“So this…was a real date?”

“I stopped pretending the second you told me to.”

“Oh.” Oh.

Mark goes through the events of the night – the dinner, the banter, this – and realizes he’s just been himself through it all. And Yukhei, he’s been himself through it all too. Because they’ve been friends for so long, they can be nothing but their true, uninhibited, unguarded selves around each other. But also because of that, because of that label, they haven’t realized that maybe, just maybe, the affection is something a little more than platonic now. Something worth discovering. Something to take a chance on. And Mark –

He wants to take a chance.

“I would love to.” They smile.

“I promise I’ll be on time. Don’t want you looking on the verge of tears waiting for prince charming.”

What a prick.

**Author's Note:**

> as per usual, this ended up much shorter than I would have wanted but hey short and sweet? also I love lumark uwu


End file.
